Safety and efficacy of rasagiline as an add-on therapy to riluzole in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial

Publication date: Available online 19 June 2018Source: The Lancet NeurologyAuthor(s): Albert C Ludolph, Joachim Schuster, Johannes Dorst, Luc Dupuis, Jens Dreyhaupt, Jochen H Weishaupt, Jan Kassubek, Ulrike Weiland, Susanne Petri, Thomas Meyer, Julian Grosskreutz, Berthold Schrank, Matthias Boentert, Alexander Emmer, Andreas Hermann, Daniel Zeller, Johannes Prudlo, Andrea S Winkler, Torsten Grehl, Michael T HenekaSummaryBackgroundRasagiline, a monoamine oxidase B inhibitor with neuroprotective potential in Parkinson's disease, has shown a disease-modifying effect in the SOD1-Gly93Ala low-expressing mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, both alone and in combination with riluzole. We sought to test whether or not rasagiline 1 mg/day can prolong survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also receiving riluzole.MethodsPatients with possible, probable, or definite amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were enrolled to our randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, double-blind, phase 2 trial from 15 German network for motor neuron diseases (MND-NET) centres (university hospitals or clinics). Eligible patients were aged at least 18 years, had onset of progressive weakness within the 36 months before the study, had disease duration of more than 6 months and less than 3 years, and had a best-sitting slow vital capacity of at least 50%. After a 4-week screening period, eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either rasagiline (1 mg/day) or placebo...
Source: The Lancet Neurology - Category: Neurology Source Type: research